The One Rule That Survived the Silent Year

Introduction

The Silent Year stripped everything. Setups were simplified. Routines were shortened. Journal pages got thinner. At the end, only one rule still stood in capital letters on every page, every week, every month. I tested removing it. I tested softening it. Both times the Neutral Zone collapsed within days. This is the single rule that survived 2025. Everything else became optional. This did not.

The Rule

If I am not neutral, I do not trade. Not “trade smaller.” Not “just one to stay in rhythm.” Not “I feel 70 % calm, that’s enough.” Full stop. No entry. No exception. Ever.

How It Looks in Practice

Neutral means:

breathing is slow and low
no urge to prove or recover
no internal commentary about money
the setup is seen, not hunted
body feels exactly like it does at 3 AM when I’m half asleep

If even one is missing → platform closed. No debate.

Why This Rule and Nothing Else

Because every violation in the past ten years traces back to one moment: I clicked buy or sell while something inside was already moving. Every blown month. Every revenge string. Every “I don’t know why I did that.” All of them happened after I ignored the first flicker of non-neutrality. The rule simply makes the flicker fatal to the session.

What Fell Away When This Rule Became Absolute

Max daily loss limits (unnecessary)
Three-trade caps (unnecessary)
Complex sizing adjustments (unnecessary)
Revenge-prevention tricks (unnecessary)
Most of my journal questions (unnecessary)

When neutrality is enforced at the door, the house stays clean by itself.

How I Enforce It (Two Methods Only)

One breath test before every potential entry
In through nose for 4, hold 4, out 6.
If the exhale shakes → no trade.
If the mind races during the pause → no trade.
The 60-second blank screen
I close my eyes or stare at a blank chart.
If any image of P&L, revenge, or justification appears → session over.

Both are stupidly simple. Both are unbreakable.

What Happened When I Made It Absolute

2025 data after the rule locked in (July–December):

Trading days reduced by 34 %
Winning days percentage rose from 61 % to 84 %
Largest losing streak: 4 → 2
Average session expectancy: +41 % higher
Days I felt “off” but traded: 0

Fewer trades. Cleaner equity. Deeper calm.

The Moment I Tried to Break It

October 17, 2025. Perfect setup. Account slightly red. Body tight from poor sleep. I talked myself into “just one.” Entered. Lost. Tilted. Added. Lost again. Closed the day down the most of the entire year. Next morning I rewrote the rule in larger letters. Never again.

Final Thoughts

The One Rule is not clever. It is not sophisticated. It is the trading equivalent of “don’t drive drunk.” Everything else — setups, sizing, schedules, reviews — is commentary. This is the rule. If I am not neutral, the market does not get my money today. No negotiation. No story. No exception. 366 days of silence taught me many things. But only one thing mattered enough to keep: Neutrality first. Everything else second. Or it all falls. This is the rule I will carry into every year after. It is enough. See you Monday — neutral, or not at all.